Page 136 - United Brethren Preachers
P. 136
Volume 9 Preachers of U.B. and EUB Virginia Conferences December 26, 2024
Conrad Roth became a member of the Ludolph Lutheran Church in Spring Township in Sherman’s Valley, Pa.85
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 62, 143, 231; Glovier 1965, p. 87; Lycoming 2013]
ROUDABUSH: George J. Roudabush was born at Seville, Va., Dec. 1, 1846, and died
Dec. 17, 1916. He was converted when he was 15 years old in a meeting held by the Evers
brothers at Long schoolhouse at Shady Grove, Rockingham County, and he was licensed in
1868. He became a member of Conference in 1875; ordained 1879; and transferred to
Maryland Conference 1887. Despite the limited educational advantages of his early years,
he read many books and was considered a minister of splendid ability. He traveled East
Virginia mission, 1869-71; Elkton, Page Valley, 1874-78; Lacey Springs, 1878-81; Augusta,
1881-83; Elkton, 1883-84, Dayton, 1884-85; and Mechanicstown, 1886-87, in Va. Conf.,
and Mechanicstown and Boonsboro in the Maryland Conference. He married Martha E.
Huckstep, daughter of William G. and Frances A. Huckstep; she died June 23, 1915, and was
buried at Boonsboro, Md. His second wife was a Mrs. Harmer. His children were Otterbein Roudabush, a
Professor Roudabush of Pennsylvania, and Margaret Roudabush (Mrs. Edward Smith). He built three churches
and two parsonages, and received about 500 members into the church. For several years he was presiding
elder of the Maryland Conference. He died at the home of his daughter in Washington, D.C., and was buried
at Boonsboro, Md. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). The picture is from
[Glovier 1965, p. 69-70], taken in 1886. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 143, 180; see also pp. 127-128, 180, 267-
268, 272-289, 293-294] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 89-90, 95, 115, 160]
ROUDABUSH: Jacob R. Roudabush was admitted to Va. Conf. in 1875, the same year as W. H. Clary,
A. D. Freed, Henry Jones, Monroe F. Keiter, and George J. Roudabush; nothing else is known. [Funkhouser
1921, pp. 127; Glovier 1965, p. 89]
RUEBUSH: James Hott Ruebush (1865-1948)
was born at Singers Glen, Virginia, Oct. 17, 1865.
He was one of six children of Ephraim Ruebush
(1833-1924; a teacher of music, printer, and
publisher) and Lucilla Virginia Kieffer (1843-
1919)—the other children were Linneus Edgar,
William Howe, Joseph Kieffer, Mary John (Mrs. W.
L. Andrews), and Anna K. (Mrs. Isaac M. Andrews).
Until the age of 14, he lived on his father’s farm.
The family then moved to Dayton in the same
county, where the son attended Shenandoah
Seminary 5 years (1878-1883). His studies in music was continued at Otterbein University, the Conservatory
of Music at New York, and such summer schools as Silver Lake and Lake Chautauqua. In these he was a pupil
of some eminent teachers. After teaching 5 years at Kee Mar College Conservatory of Hagerstown, Md., he
returned to Dayton in 1898, becoming Musical Director in the Institute. In 1910 he was put in control of the
school. He taught at the College until 1938. Mr. Ruebush is the author of several song books, the first of
which is “Gems of Gladness.” He is a person of great energy and activity, and brings these qualities to bear in
everything in which he is concerned. Several times has he been a member of the General Conference of the
United Brethren Church, and he has held several other high positions in his denomination. He married Ella V.
Funkhouser of Mt. Jackson, Va., Aug. 7, 1889. He entered Otterbein University in 1884 to continue his
musical studies. In 1885, 1886, and 1887 he was in the Grand Conservatory of Music of New York. In
addition to teaching at Shenandoah Institute he attended summer schools at Silver Lake, N.Y., and
Chautauqua Lake Assemblies, being a pupil of H. N. Barttelb, H. R. Palmer, George F. Root, F. W. Root, W. S.
B. Matthews, and others. “Gems of Gladness was a small Sunday school book of 564 pages, of which 20,00
copies were sold. This book was followed by “Star of Bethlehem” (assisted, in his other books, by Prof. J. H.
Hall) of which over 30,000 copies were sold. Then others followed, viz.: “Pearls of Truth,” “ Practical Voice
Culture,” “Harmony and Composition,” “Fountain of Praise,” and “Messenger of Song.” The combined sales of
these books exceeded 200,00 copies. [Fretz 1899, pp. 299-300] James Hott Ruebush did much to promote
the study of music in public school.86 [Wayland 2009, p. 303] The J. H. Ruebush House is located at 190 Mill
Street in Dayton, Va., built in 1906 the Queen Anne style, eventually became the property of Shenandoah
College.87 [NPS NRHPI 8/16/83, pp. 1-5] Prof. Ruebush died April 14, 1948, age 83. The picture on the left
85 D. H. Focht, “Churches Between the Mountains: A History of the Lutheran Congregations in Perry County, Pa.,” A
Discourse Delivered October 4, 1857, at Christ’s Church of Bloomfield, Pa.
86 [Wayland 2009, p. 303].
87 National Park Service (NPS), NRHPI Nomination Form, August 16, 2024 [NPS 1984].
Biographical Sketches 124
Conrad Roth became a member of the Ludolph Lutheran Church in Spring Township in Sherman’s Valley, Pa.85
[Funkhouser 1921, pp. 62, 143, 231; Glovier 1965, p. 87; Lycoming 2013]
ROUDABUSH: George J. Roudabush was born at Seville, Va., Dec. 1, 1846, and died
Dec. 17, 1916. He was converted when he was 15 years old in a meeting held by the Evers
brothers at Long schoolhouse at Shady Grove, Rockingham County, and he was licensed in
1868. He became a member of Conference in 1875; ordained 1879; and transferred to
Maryland Conference 1887. Despite the limited educational advantages of his early years,
he read many books and was considered a minister of splendid ability. He traveled East
Virginia mission, 1869-71; Elkton, Page Valley, 1874-78; Lacey Springs, 1878-81; Augusta,
1881-83; Elkton, 1883-84, Dayton, 1884-85; and Mechanicstown, 1886-87, in Va. Conf.,
and Mechanicstown and Boonsboro in the Maryland Conference. He married Martha E.
Huckstep, daughter of William G. and Frances A. Huckstep; she died June 23, 1915, and was
buried at Boonsboro, Md. His second wife was a Mrs. Harmer. His children were Otterbein Roudabush, a
Professor Roudabush of Pennsylvania, and Margaret Roudabush (Mrs. Edward Smith). He built three churches
and two parsonages, and received about 500 members into the church. For several years he was presiding
elder of the Maryland Conference. He died at the home of his daughter in Washington, D.C., and was buried
at Boonsboro, Md. His memoir, as well as his wife’s, is provided in Section II.A (below). The picture is from
[Glovier 1965, p. 69-70], taken in 1886. [Funkhouser 1921, pp. 143, 180; see also pp. 127-128, 180, 267-
268, 272-289, 293-294] and [Glovier 1965, pp. 89-90, 95, 115, 160]
ROUDABUSH: Jacob R. Roudabush was admitted to Va. Conf. in 1875, the same year as W. H. Clary,
A. D. Freed, Henry Jones, Monroe F. Keiter, and George J. Roudabush; nothing else is known. [Funkhouser
1921, pp. 127; Glovier 1965, p. 89]
RUEBUSH: James Hott Ruebush (1865-1948)
was born at Singers Glen, Virginia, Oct. 17, 1865.
He was one of six children of Ephraim Ruebush
(1833-1924; a teacher of music, printer, and
publisher) and Lucilla Virginia Kieffer (1843-
1919)—the other children were Linneus Edgar,
William Howe, Joseph Kieffer, Mary John (Mrs. W.
L. Andrews), and Anna K. (Mrs. Isaac M. Andrews).
Until the age of 14, he lived on his father’s farm.
The family then moved to Dayton in the same
county, where the son attended Shenandoah
Seminary 5 years (1878-1883). His studies in music was continued at Otterbein University, the Conservatory
of Music at New York, and such summer schools as Silver Lake and Lake Chautauqua. In these he was a pupil
of some eminent teachers. After teaching 5 years at Kee Mar College Conservatory of Hagerstown, Md., he
returned to Dayton in 1898, becoming Musical Director in the Institute. In 1910 he was put in control of the
school. He taught at the College until 1938. Mr. Ruebush is the author of several song books, the first of
which is “Gems of Gladness.” He is a person of great energy and activity, and brings these qualities to bear in
everything in which he is concerned. Several times has he been a member of the General Conference of the
United Brethren Church, and he has held several other high positions in his denomination. He married Ella V.
Funkhouser of Mt. Jackson, Va., Aug. 7, 1889. He entered Otterbein University in 1884 to continue his
musical studies. In 1885, 1886, and 1887 he was in the Grand Conservatory of Music of New York. In
addition to teaching at Shenandoah Institute he attended summer schools at Silver Lake, N.Y., and
Chautauqua Lake Assemblies, being a pupil of H. N. Barttelb, H. R. Palmer, George F. Root, F. W. Root, W. S.
B. Matthews, and others. “Gems of Gladness was a small Sunday school book of 564 pages, of which 20,00
copies were sold. This book was followed by “Star of Bethlehem” (assisted, in his other books, by Prof. J. H.
Hall) of which over 30,000 copies were sold. Then others followed, viz.: “Pearls of Truth,” “ Practical Voice
Culture,” “Harmony and Composition,” “Fountain of Praise,” and “Messenger of Song.” The combined sales of
these books exceeded 200,00 copies. [Fretz 1899, pp. 299-300] James Hott Ruebush did much to promote
the study of music in public school.86 [Wayland 2009, p. 303] The J. H. Ruebush House is located at 190 Mill
Street in Dayton, Va., built in 1906 the Queen Anne style, eventually became the property of Shenandoah
College.87 [NPS NRHPI 8/16/83, pp. 1-5] Prof. Ruebush died April 14, 1948, age 83. The picture on the left
85 D. H. Focht, “Churches Between the Mountains: A History of the Lutheran Congregations in Perry County, Pa.,” A
Discourse Delivered October 4, 1857, at Christ’s Church of Bloomfield, Pa.
86 [Wayland 2009, p. 303].
87 National Park Service (NPS), NRHPI Nomination Form, August 16, 2024 [NPS 1984].
Biographical Sketches 124
